GIS Education Center

In addition, we will consider how primary stakeholder groups (described below) play a role in creating healthier neighborhoods.  You will see how under-served communities would ultimately benefit from a neighborhood level approach centered on health in its many forms (e.g. safety, food access, transportation, economic opportunities, social cohesion).  To round out the discussion, we will discuss recommended neighborhood changes leading to  community betterment using the results of our GIS-based analysis.

As a framing device, the workshop will routinely present healthy neighborhood topics from the perspectives of three primary stakeholder groups:

• Planners: who typically manage urban planning projects and guide them through the governmental review/approval process
• Health Planners: who evaluate the projects to determine the health impacts
• Advocacy Groups: who focus on the specific needs of unique communities and partner with governmental agencies to advocate for the inclusion of these needs in planning projects

• Components of a healthy neighborhood - why is this topic important?
• How is this topic different or related to the term “public health”?
• The six primary components of a healthy neighborhood
• Examples of health-related GIS data
• The role of transportation in creating a healthy neighborhood
• The role of goods and services access in creating a healthy neighborhood.
• What is considered a “healthy” mix of goods and services?  What does their deficiency produce?
• The Neighborhood Completeness Indicator analysis and examples of “complete” vs. “incomplete” neighborhoods in San Francisco
• The role of social cohesion in creating a healthy neighborhood;“social capital” as a measure of community cohesiveness
• Other relevant topics: safer/cleaner neighborhoods, crime statistics, walkable neighborhoods, community spaces and gathering places (or lack thereof); block parties
• Fundamental question: what can planners and advocates do on the policy planning side to improve community cohesiveness?
• Note that this workshop serves as a segue way into Rick and Mike’s workshop that focuses on GIS for Economic Development - another aspect of building up healthy communities (in terms of job access, etc.)
• Video: http://www.podcast.tv/video-episodes/social-cohesion-and-individual-health-7735270.html

The workshop will involve the use of a number of GIS tools, data sets, and procedures:

• San Francisco’s Healthy Development Measurement Tool and related geospatial data
• Application of geoprocessing tools, including buffer, select by location, summarize attribute tables
• Collection of baseline information about the study neighborhoods: race/ethnicity, household income, age, population density
• ArcGIS Network Analyst for transportation network analysis
• CrimeMapper SF web site
• Animated time-based mapping using ArcGIS 10

(1) This workshop requires that students possess basic ArcGIS skills; the GIS Quick Start I class would meet this requirement.

(2) Besides a familiarity with ArcGIS, students need to possess an intermediate-level knowledge of the Windows XP operating system and Excel.  This includes creating new files and folders, creating and managing new worksheets in Excel, familiarity with a wide range of file types (e.g. TXT, CSV, XLS, SHP, DBF) and transferring data between computers using a flash drive, or a web-based file transfer service (e.g. www.YousendIt.com) or a CD/DVD.

(3) Additional skills expected: storing, copying and management of multiple data types; managing multiple windows and applications; and the discipline to save work frequently.

(4) A strong motivation to learn, explore and have fun with computer applications is essential.  This workshop will require a significant amount of independent work and relies heavily on student initiative.

(5) An openness to working with other students in the class as a shared learning experience in order to complete assignments, build contacts in the professional GIS world and to support relatively new GIS learners.

Organization
Each workshop session will follow a similar structure:

• Lecture: a short presentation that provides topical and spatial context to the guided demonstrations and hands-on, independent work that follows
• Guided Demonstration: instructors will walk students through acquisition of health-specific GIS data sets and ArcGIS analytical processes

• Problem-Solving: students will be presented with a short list of questions and relevant ArcGIS tools that can be used to address the questions.  Students will then figure out the proper approach to solve the questions, working either independently or in a collaborative group.

Textbook
No textbook is required for this workshop.